GOP insiders are beginning to float the idea that Congressman Ron Paul cannot legally be on the first ballot at the national convention in Tampa this August because he will not have enough delegates from enough states.

USA Today carries a report that suggests both Paul and Newt Gingrich will not be able to get on the first ballot because they may not have a plurality of delegates from at least five states by the time the convention comes around.

Appearing on MSNBC News, Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee, cited Rule No. 40, Section B in the Republican National Committee rulebook, which states:

Each candidate for nomination for President of the United States and Vice President of the United States shall demonstrate the support of a plurality of the delegates from each of five (5) or more states, severally, prior to the presentation of the name of the candidate for nomination.

Anything that shows Ron Paul is a nuisance or a non-existing discarded nonentity is always RIGGED. Voices from the "lunatic fringe" is very strong on this.

Comment by Esther Cook

Entered on: 3/24/2012 3:43:43 PM

This could be serious. There are only four candidates. If two are eliminated, then only two are left and one will win a majority on the first round.
Ron Paul's supporters know for certain that he has been cheated out of pluralities already by fraud. That could lead to violence--which would set our movement back by decades.
Meanwhile, the two remaining candidates are not Constitutionally eligible for the nomination, as their fathers were not US citizens at the time of their births. The Constitution names exactly one office where birth citizenship is required--the Presidency. But it does not say birth citizen nor native born--it says Natural born--which means the natural issue of two US citizen parents.
RP supporters could get behind a Newt candidacy if he promised us a few Secretary positions and real reduction in Federal spending . But we cannot betray the high principles of our man by supporting Unconstitutional candidates. We'd be bolting to a third party.
Obama would win re-election, eligible or not (but the stink we'd raise might throw the Presidency to his Veep) and America might not survive.
If the USA remained a Constitutional Republic with some freedom, then 2016 would see a Third Party replace the Republicans.

Comment by Esther Cook

Entered on: 3/24/2012 3:42:39 PM

This could be serious. There are only four candidates. If two are eliminated, then only two are left and one will win a majority on the first round.
Ron Paul's supporters know for certain that he has been cheated out of pluralities already by fraud. That could lead to violence--which would set our movement back by decades.
Meanwhile, the two remaining candidates are not Constitutionally eligible for the nomination, as their fathers were not US citizens at the time of their births. The Constitution names exactly one office where birth citizenship is required--the Presidency. But it does not say birth citizen nor native born--it says Natural born--which means the natural issue of two US citizen parents.
RP supporters could get behind a Newt candidacy if he promised us a few Secretary positions and real reduction in Federal spending . But we cannot betray the high principles of our man by supporting Unconstitutional candidates. We'd be bolting to a third party.
Obama would win re-election, eligible or not (but the stink we'd raise might throw the Presidency to his Veep) and America might not survive.
If the USA remained a Constitutional Republic with some freedom, then 2016 would see a Third Party replace the Republicans.

Comment by Jefferson Paine

Entered on: 3/23/2012 8:36:42 PM

MadisonPaine says:
March 23, 2012 at 8:22 pm

Perhaps no reason to worry. Even bound delegates for other
candidates, who nonetheless support Ron Paul … support Ron Paul! Sure,
they have agreed to faithfully cast their state GOP’s vote for whichever
candidate it is bound to. But is that a matter of the delegate
SUPPORTING that other candidate? Nah. Most likely the delegate has made
it no secret that s/he supports RP. Voting for Mitt Santorgrich is just a
duty, and most emphatically NOT personal support.

The way I see it, those people who become delegates for their State
who also personally support Ron Paul are the ones who count in
satisfying that pesky Rule 40.